Zirkzee scores winner as Netherlands beat Serbia and Van Dijk plays 100th game

Joshua Zirkzee scored the winning goal to give the Netherlands a 2-1 victory over Serbia in the Nations League.

Match Action

Coming on at half-time in Eindhoven, the Manchester United forward scored with a tap-in from Tijjani Reijnders' pass across goal. Teun Koopmeiners opened the scoring for the hosts just after the half-hour mark with a free-kick through a crowded box. Serbia drew level four minutes later when Mihajlo Cvetkovic headed past Bart Verbruggen for his first international goal. The win moves the Netherlands top of their group with two games remaining, following a 2-1 victory in Belgrade seven days earlier.

Milestones And Status

The match marked a major milestone for Virgil van Dijk, as the Liverpool centre-back made his 100th international appearance for the Netherlands at age 35. Meanwhile, new Netherlands head coach Xavi remains unbeaten after four games in charge, having recorded two wins and two draws. For Serbia, the defeat leaves them winless at the bottom of group A2 under pressure.

Context

The UEFA Nations League is a biennial international football competition featuring national teams from across Europe, designed to replace international friendlies with competitive matches. Teams are divided into leagues based on their ranking, with promotion and relegation at stake in each group phase.